Chapter 24
Luke
“My dad has always been controlling, especially around my career. His goal was always for me to go pro.”
Dusk is falling, and the evening stars are just beginning to peak out in the cloudless sky. With the murmur of voices around us, a knot forms in my stomach. My thoughts keep running back to the last thing I want to think about.
My father.
But after the turn our relationship has taken, Gen knowing feels important.
“Was that what you wanted?” Genevieve’s pressed against my side, her thumb gently rubbing down mine.
“It was. I loved playing golf, and I just happened to be really good at it.”
“You were?” She teases, nudging my hip.
I squeeze her hand, the corner of my mouth tugging up. “What I didn’t expect was the amount of pressure he would put on me when I made it to the pros.”
“What do you mean?” Her gaze settles on my face, a familiar pressure building in my throat, and I swallow.
Slowly exhaling, I work to find the right words to explain what I’m trying to express. “My first season was better than I ever could’ve imagined. Teeing off was effortless, and with every strike, my ball kept finding the right lines.”
Memories of the crowd cheering, my dad’s pride. The nickname that defined my rookie year. “But then something changed.”
“Your anxiety?”
“Yeah, that kicked up a notch, too. But more than that. It was his, and everyone else’s, expectations. My goal was no longer to shoot par or better. It became about blowing away the competition with every stroke like I was supposed to be the Grim Reaper again…only better. Perfect. Untouchable.”
“No one can be perfect,” Gen says, leaning in and kissing me on the cheek. “I’m sorry. I can’t imagine being under that type of pressure.”
I shrug. “It wasn’t so bad.”
“Luke.” Gen stops and places a hand on my cheek. “It was bad enough that you needed to get a support dog.”
“Not right away,” I say dismissively, “It was years before that happened.”
She stops in front of me and stares. Then blinks. “Do you hear yourself?”
“I do, but it’s the truth. I had it under control, until I didn’t.”
“Let’s spread the blanket right here.” Gen points to a clump of stars, reminding me of why we’re in the field.
“Okay.” I shrug, blankly staring at her.
“Cassiopeia is easily visible here.”
My eyes sweep across the acres of land in front of us. “Isn’t it—”
“She. Cassiopeia was a Queen in Greek mythology.”
“Okay, she.” I sweep my arm across the field. “Isn’t she visible from anywhere around here?”
“Yes, but I like this spot,” she says, like that settles everything.
And it does because I don’t care where we are as long as I’m with her.
“So tell me when J.B. and Bogey came into the picture.” Gen slides her hand in mine, interlocking our fingers before she starts moving toward the crowd of people gathering.
The knot that was tying up my stomach a few minutes ago is gone.
“J.B. came into the picture a little under two years ago. And he immediately got me in touch with a therapist who specialized in helping athletes with panic attacks.” She lets out the softest gasp, and it’s then that I realize she was unaware of how bad things had gotten.
“It was there I learned a grounding exercise.”
“5-4-3-2-1?” I nod. “Did it help?”
“It did. For a bit.”
“But not enough?” Gen stops, still a good twenty feet away from the crowd, and steps in front of me, resting her hand over the center of my chest.
Releasing a breath, I cover her hand. “No. J.B. became insistent that I couldn’t keep pushing like I was.”
“But let me guess.” She’s watching me closely, leaning into me. The weight of her body, warming me, erasing the chill of this conversation. “You weren’t having any of it.”
The corner of my mouth lifts, and I brush her hair away from her face. “Why would you think that?”
Her eyes narrow. “Because I know you.”
“My dad did a really good job instilling the belief that any help was a form of weakness.” My gaze drops to the ground. “It’s a hard belief to let go.”
Genevieve’s warm knuckle rests under my chin and applies pressure. When I refuse to meet her eyes, she bends her knees so that her gaze is in the path of mine. “Asking for help isn’t weakness, Luke, it’s a form of strength.”
I shrug. “That’s what everyone kept saying. It just took a bit for me to get on board with the plan.”
“And that’s when Bogey came into the picture?”
“That’s when Bogey came into the picture.”
Her eyes are bright as she gazes into mine, my heart hammering against her palm that’s still resting against my chest. When she feels it, she beams at me.
“Thank you,” I whisper, wrapping my arm around her waist and pulling her flush.
“For what?”
“Saying yes to train my dog.” Her lips are inches from mine, and right before I can kiss her, a crackle bursts from the speaker.
Then a man, whom I can only assume is Gideon Wren, announces that the Constellation Tour is starting.
“That. Was. Amazing!”
The fact that I’ve lived in the next town over my entire life and have never been to the Starhaven Stargazing Festival is criminal.
My parents never once brought me when I was young…child abuse.
“Just wait,” Gen whispers, a grin stretching ear to ear, pulling me toward where we left our blanket.
“I’m sorry, but I’m not sure a meteor shower can beat what I just learned.”
She sits next to me. “How do you know when you’ve never seen one before?”
Sitting next to her, I position my body northeast so that it’s facing the three constellations part of the next event for this evening: Perseus, Andromeda, and Cassiopeia.
“Because I can’t imagine anything more incredible than being able to see how all the tiny lights form shapes in the sky.”
Gen moves so that she’s kneeling in front of me and cups my cheek. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen this version of you.” Her hazel eyes are sparkling. “It’s adorable.”
Taking hold of her wrist, I turn my face and rest my lips on her palm. “It’s not often I get to do something like this,” I murmur.
“I’m going to guess that your therapist suggested you find ways to have fun and relax.”
“Were you listening in on our conversations?” My brows shoot up, and Gen giggles.
“No, but it’s usually one of the things that’s suggested when someone needs to reduce stress.”
Pulling her into my lap and tucking my chin in her neck, I whisper, “That’s only because they haven’t met you.”
Gen places a hand on each cheek and places a kiss that is heart-wrenchingly sweet on my lips, tingling and running down my spine. Burying my fingers in her hair, I deepen the kiss when she melts into me, and a low growl escapes.
She chuckles, and my eyes pop open before I can say anything—a line of light streaks across the sky.
“What was that?”
“I think it was an incredible kiss.” Gen slides her hand around the back of my head, pulling me toward her mouth when I see it again.
“That!” I point at the sky. “That streak!”
Gen pulls her bottom lip between her teeth and lets out a ragged sigh before dragging herself from my lap.
“That is a meteor.”
Sitting, staring at the sky, my mouth hanging open, I watch as three more meteors streak across the sky.
“Come here.” Gen tugs at my arm. “Lay next to me. You can see better.”
Lying down next to her, we watch as bright lights shoot across, under, and around Perseus. Gen snuggles in next to me, her head resting on my chest, when I feel hot pinpricks on my face. Glancing down, I find Gen watching me.
“You’re missing it,” I say softly, pointing up.
“I’m not missing anything,” she responds, running a finger over my chin, leaving a trail of heat everywhere she touches.
“This shower was an annual event for my family. I’m always amazed by its magic.
But watching you watch it?” She kisses the corner of my mouth.
“It’s like getting to see it again for the first time. ”
Pushing the strand of hair hanging loose behind her ear, my gaze falls to her lips that are tugging up at the corners.
One finger runs across her lips. My hand slips behind her head, pulling her toward me.
I gasp as another streak flashes across the sky.
She laughs, before quickly pressing her lips to mine.
“We’ll have time for this later. Right now, let’s just enjoy the show.”
“You know you’re more beautiful than all the stars in the—” Two more streaks cross the sky, and Gen giggles.
“You can tell me how enamored you are of me later.”
“I’m sorry. I just never—” A finger covers my mouth.
“Enjoy, Luke. If anyone understands how breathtaking the Perseids are, it’s me.”
Gen snuggles in close, and my arm wraps around her, pulling her closer. When she brings her arm around my waist and rests her chin on my chest, I can feel the smile on her face, and my heart expands.
I may not have realized all the magic the night sky contains, but the same isn’t true for the woman lying in my arms.
No. From the moment I first met her, I knew that she was one of a kind.
“I love you,” I whisper, pressing my lips against the top of her head.
When she whispers, “I know.” I can’t stop my fingers from reaching for her tickle spot.